Orchid Seed Sowing "flasking" and Micropropagation
Phalaenopsis Stem Propagation

The Digital Ecosystem is an orchid
micropropagation lab, located in North
Carolina, that is available to process your
orchid seed germination and phalaenopsis
stem props.

The lab is up and running on a continuous
basis but is small enough to give
professional attention to even small orders
for just a few flasks.

Our production capacity is approximately
6,000 orchid seedling flasks and 500
phalaenopsis stem props annually. We can
deliver your plants in-flask or grow them on
to larger plants, delivering them in plug
trays ready for individual pots. Other our site.

Digital Ecosystem for Propagation by Seed

We prefer to work with seed from un-split or green pods and support most orchid genera except for
cypripediums.

We make a minimum of three Mother Flasks from your seed. Depending on germination and your plant quantity
requirements, we make no less than two Spread Flasks, usually more. From the Spread Flasks, we make the
final Re-plate Flasks of 15-20 plants each.

You are charged only for the initial flasking of your seeds and the final Re-plate flasks. When you place your
order, please tell us how many final Re-plate flasks you desire. If you grow orchids as a hobby and only want a
few flasks for yourself and friends, that's fine with us, we won't turn you away.  If you need thousands of plants
and give us viable seed, we welcome that too. The quantity is up to you... and your mother plant's seed. We will
make some extra "safety flasks" which you will be given the opportunity to purchase. Once your order is
complete and delivered to you, all remaining plant material in our care will be destroyed. We only ship final
re-plate flasks that have well grown plantlets.

Lab Services for Phalaenopsis Stem Props

If you have a rare, fine quality phalaenopsis plant YOU SHOULD HAVE  IT STEM PROPAGATED !

If the plant is rare, valuable for breeding, awarded, award quality or simply just special to you and is not readily
available you will want to have some additional genetically identical plants on your bench or to trade with
others. Don't delay, plants can be lost at any time, and it seems to happen all too often if the plant is special.
You can use hormone pastes to produce "kieki" plants but results vary. It requires the mother plant to grow the
kieki which may weaken the plant, and it frequently results in just a secondary flower spike. It's also messy. Lab
made Stem Props are the professional way to preserve and multiply clonal varieties.

We usually get only one or two plantlets from a node. Why? The answer is simple. We strive to give you plants
that are genetically identical to the donor plant without risk of mutation. We are helping you to preserve all the
qualities of your donor plant by delivery to you stem propagated plants that are identical to the original plant in
all respects. If you desire a large quantity of "mericlone" plants, this is where to start as well.

Just about every stem that we put into propagation results in a plantlet, but not always. We have a multi-step
process of preparing the stem for culture that gives very good results and very low rates of failure or loss due
to contamination, but much depends on the stem itself. An old woody stem is less likely to give positive results,
very thin stems do not propagate as well as thicker ones, and some plants may simply be more difficult to
propagate than others. In general however, if the stem is recently matured, not old, strong and healthy, it will
produce plantlets.

We use Side Vented Polypropylene Flasks

The Digital Ecosystem uses an exclusive side-vented polypropylene container. This "flask" is superior to
glass. It autoclaves well, is unbreakable, reusable / disposable / recyclable, low cost and light weight. Unlike
some P-P flasks on the market that are similar in appearance, ours has an air-tight lid seal and side venting.
Venting is important for the autoclaving process and for the plants. Rather than venting through the lid, ours is
side-vented which allows them to be stacked in the autoclave for sterilization, and best of all, it stays dry during
culturing.  A shielded, captive, non-absorbent filter prevents entry of contaminants.

As an Digital Ecosystem customer, you will appreciate that these are No Deposit / No Return flasks
that are inexpensive to ship, with no breakage in shipment and no broken glass for you to handle while
de-flasking.




Digital Ecosystem and Bettegreene are trademarks of Etowah Greenhouse.